[p.498] May 7th.From Boszeyra we crossed a short ridge of mountains,
and then entered a narrow valley, the bed of a torrent, called Saada
[Arabic], in the windings of which we descended by a steeper slope than
any of the former; our main direction E. The mountains on both sides
were of moderate height and with gentle slopes, till after an hour and a
half, when we reached a chain of high and perpendicular grünstein rocks,
which hemmed in the valley so closely as to leave in several places a
passage of only ten feet across. After proceeding for a mile in this
very striking and majestic defile, I caught the first glimpse of the
gulf of Akaba; the valley then widens and descends to the sea, and after
two hours and a quarter we alighted upon the sandy beach, which is here
several hundred paces in breadth; the grünstein and granite rocks reach
all the way down; but at the very foot of the mountain a thin layer of
chalk appeared just above the surface of the ground. The valley opens
directly upon the sea, into which it empties its torrent when heavy
rains fall. Some groves of date-trees stand close by the shore, among
which is a well of brackish but drinkable water; the place is called El
Noweyba [Arabic]. We now followed the coast in a direction N.N.E. and at
the end of three hours and a quarter halted at a grove of date-trees,
intermixed with a few tamarisks, called Wasta [Arabic], close by the
sea. Here is a small spring at a distance of fifty yards from the sea,
and not more than eight feet above the level of the water; it was choked
with sand, which we removed, and on digging a hole about three feet deep
and one foot in diameter, it filled in half an hour with very tolerable
water. The shore is covered with weeds brought hither by the tide[.]
Here the two Bedouins intended to take up their quarters for fishing,
but I easily prevailed upon Ayd to accompany us farther on. He promised
to conduct us as far as Taba, a valley in sight of Akaba, but declared
that he should not be justified in
[p.499] holding out to me promises of safety beyond that point. This was
all that I wished, for the present, thinking that when we arrived
thither, I should be able to prevail on him to continue farther. Szaleh
now gave me reason to suspect that, from the moment of our setting out,
he had had treacherous intentions. He secretly endeavoured to persuade
Hamd to return, and finding the latter resolved to fulfil his
engagements, he declared that he had now shown us enough of the way,
that we had only to follow the shore to reach Akaba, and that the
weakness of his camel would not allow it to proceed farther. I replied
that he was at liberty to take himself off, but that, on my return to
the convent, I should pay him only for the three days he had travelled
with me. This was not to his liking, and he therefore preferred going
on. Before we left this place Ayd told me that as I had treated him with
a supper last night, it was his duty to give me a breakfast this
morning. While he kneaded a loaf of flour, and baked it in the ashes,
his companion caught some fish, which we boiled, and made a soup of the
broth mixed with bread. The deaf man was made to understand by signs
that he was to wait for the return of Ayd, and we set out together
before mid-day. Before us lay a small bay, which we skirted; the sands
on the shore every where bore the impression of the passage of serpents,
crossing each other in many directions, and some of them appeared to be
made by animals whose bodies could not be less than two inches in
diameter. Ayd told me that serpents were very common in these parts;
that the fishermen were much afraid of them, and extinguished their
fires in the evening before they went to sleep, because the light was
known to attract them. As serpents are so numerous on this side, they
are probably not deficient towards the head of the gulf on its opposite
shore, where it appears that the Israelites passed, when they journeyed
from mount Hor, by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of
[p.500] Edom, and when the Lord sent fiery serpents among the
people.[Numbers c. xxi, v. 4, 6. The following passage of Deuteronomy
(viii. 15) in giving a general description of this country, alludes to
the serpents: Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness
wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was
no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint. Who fed
thee in the wilderness with manna, &c. Scorpions are numerous in all
the adjacent parts of Palestine and the desert. The Author observes in a
note in another place, that the Arabic translation of the Pentateuch has
serpents of burning bites, instead of fiery serpents. Note of the
Editor.]
On the opposite side of the gulf the mountains appeared to reach down to
the sea-side. In the direction S.S.E. and S.E. they are high; to the
northward the chain lowers, and from the point E.S.E. towards Akaba the
level is still lower. We saw at a distance several Gazelles, which, my
guides told me, descend at mid-day to the sea to bathe. At one hour from
Wasta we reached near the sea another collection of palm trees, larger
than the former, and having a well, which was completely choaked up.
These trees receive no other irrigation than the winter rains; each tree
has its acknowledged owner among some of the Towara tribes: those which
I have just noticed belong to some persons of the tribe of Aleygat. Not
the smallest attention is paid to the trees till the period of the date
harvest, when the owners encamp under them with their families for about
a week while the fruit is gathered. The shrub Gharkad also grows here in
large quantities. At one hour and three quarters we came to another
small bay, round which lay the road, the main direction of the shore
being N.E. by N. The mountains approach very near to the water, leaving
only a narrow sloping plain covered with loose stones, washed down from
above by the torrents. The road was profusely strewed with shells of
different species, all of which were empty. The fishermen collect the
shells, take out the animals, and